McGwire wouldn't vote himself into Hall of Fame

New Dodgers hitting coach and former big league slugger Mark McGwire, who ranks 10th all-time with 583 home runs, said on Friday that he wouldn't vote himself into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Not by the guidelines now, no," McGwire said on the Dan Patrick Radio Show. "I'll never fight it. I totally respect the Hall of Fame. They have rules and guidelines to go by and I abide by it. You'll never see Mark McGwire fight it."

McGwire appeared at a congressional hearing on steroids in 2005, declining to answer questions under oath during his testimony. In 2010, he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

In his sixth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, McGwire received 19.5 percent of the vote, his lowest percentage since he became eligible in 2007. To be inducted, a candidate needs 75 percent of the votes.

"Everyone makes mistakes and screws up," McGwire said. "The big guys are the ones that can overcome it and become a better person because of it."

McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998, smashing Roger Maris' single-season record of 61. McGwire retired from the game in 2001, the same season Barry Bonds set the current record for homers in a season with 73.

"You do stupid things in life and screw up, not knowing what the ramifications are later in life," McGwire said. "It is something that I live with every day of my life. I am OK with it. I know I've become a better person because of it."

Quinn Roberts is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.